


A Return of Aengelic Proportions

by CassiaKiaya



Category: Eldarya (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:36:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27692888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CassiaKiaya/pseuds/CassiaKiaya
Summary: Genevieve (Gardienne) comes back to life with Leiftan after seven years from sacrificing themselves to bring life back to Eldarya.  Unknown of how they were able to return, Genevieve is now finding herself again in a place that has moved on without her.  While she wants to help discover why things have become imbalanced lately, she also wonders in her heart of what happened to her love, Ezarel since he ran away from HQ when she was thought to be gone forever.
Relationships: Ezarel/Gardienne | Guardian | Erika
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Genevieve Means "Woman of the People"

**Author's Note:**

> This story came to me when I posted this idea on my tumblr account: https://cassialupin.tumblr.com/post/635501900043829248/i-knowi-knownot-another-bitch-fest-about
> 
> For those of you that have not reached the end of Origins and/or started A New Era...there will be spoliers, you have been warned!
> 
> When I saw that the one I chose, Ezarel, simply left and is never coming back in A New Era (as far as has been communicated by Beemoov and fans)...I felt this was my way to bring him back into A New Era, along with possibly Valkyon too because I thought he was so kindhearted. Thank you for reading!

I never questioned so much in my life until my eyes opened again and I was faced with my second coming, you could say.

Seven years?!? It was only seconds for me. I had sacrificed my existence to ensure Eldarya's continuing breath. Seven years later...

Nevra has moved on. His lively spirit has hardened and I blame myself for it. Could we have continued in Eldarya without my sacrifice? Probably not. It was a ticking time bomb and I was the way to stop it, Leiftan too.

Leiftan. His calm spirit is now a wall. Although Huang Hua is from my past, Leiftan and Nevra were the air around me and now they are suffocating me.

Everything that was there in the past was now gone. Many have moved on to their own journeys. Especially the one person I watched walk away...

Ezarel.

My spirit followed him out of the gate. I couldn't have stopped him if I tried. I had to say goodbye without knowing that I would awaken seven years later on the Crystal Room's floor.

Had he moved on from our love?

I'm assuming Nevra wouldn't answer me if I asked, even if he knew and I know I couldn't ask Leiftan, knowing his true feelings for me. I know I had hurt him with pushing him away.

I had thought about just going back to a "normal" Eldarya life in the HQ and finding my feet again. I would train myself like never before. Jamon was eager to craft a beautiful sword for me and I was especially touched when I noticed it looked a lot like Ezarel's sword, but I did not mention it. Jamon must sense the hurt I have inside too.

As I met the new members of HQ, I am continuously reminded of my heroism and how Leiftan is considered also a savior. His reactions to this declaration are very telling and they tell me how conflicted he is. To him, he is not a savior. His actions spoke of evil and his heart is hurt from them. I tried to remind him of his Aengelic spirit that is inside of him but he refuses to listen and now he wishes for his space from me.

Nevra is using his female "conquests" as a mask to hide his internal pain. I wish I could help him, but I don't know how.

Meeting Mathieu was a reminder of my Earthly past. His arrogance is true to a younger man from my old world. His quick compliments and ever-inflating ego warn me to keep my distance. He doesn't understand the pain that resides in my heart and telling him would do nothing except ramp up his infatuation with me.

I feel light in this new HQ but still heavy on the inside. The missions given to me are to help answer why there is a new imbalance in Eldarya. Are Leiftan and I responisible for this imbalance only or is there more? Were we brought back for a specific reason? 

I have so little answers that I grow more and more restless waiting in my room before going to the Dining Hall to enjoy Karuto's new breakfast pastries.

As I exit my bedroom, I catch a glimpse of Nevra down the hall.

"Nevra, can I talk to you for a second?" I said quietly.

I knew his vampire hearing would pick up on that without bringing attention of myself to others who may be around. He stopped walking and slowly turned around.

"So I see that hasn't changed," I said with a smile.

"Never have, never will. I'm stuck with it for eternity," he replied.

I felt immediately sad in that reply, but I didn't say anything as I approached him. I didn't know how to ask him my next question but I sensed he had an idea of what I was going to ask because he started slightly shaking his head 'no.'

"Do you think Ezar..." I started.

"Don't do this, Genevieve," Nevra quickly replied.

"But, like you say word travels fast and far..." I answered back.

"Listen to me, Genevieve. I had to bury 4 of my friends in a literal and hypothetical sense. Ezarel always runs away from his fucking problems, so I had to bury his friendship when he took off. We all know what happened to you and Leiftan, so we had a funeral for you both without fucking bodies, and obviously Valkyon is dead, so there is nothing more that needs to be said except that Ezarel knows you're back but he obviously would have been back by now, so maybe you need to move on!" Nevra replied with anger running through his voice.

I stood there, wide-eyed, and it didn't take long for tears to start filling my eyes. I was immediately crushed by how he snapped at me and those angry, hurtful words flowed through him so easily. I pushed him as I ran away into the main hall. I thought I heard one of the bedroom doors open but I continued running until I was outside and I found a place without people around me to pry about my current state.

I was under Valkyon's favorite peaceful spot, the Hundred Years Cherry Tree, crying my eyes out. I heard someone approach, but I continued to keep my head down.

"Whoever you are, I don't want to talk about it, just go away," I announced, still keeping my head down.

I felt a presence sit down next to me on the stone border surrounding the tree and I shivered when a hand started to lightly caress my back. An arm then wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me close to them. It was then that I recognized this presence.

"Do you really think he won't come back for me?" I asked.

Leiftan sighed before he answered softly.

"I don't know why he hasn't," he replied.

This angered me. I stood up and knowing Leiftan didn't deserve this, I started to take my anger out.

"He probably threw our love away like day-old trash! Maybe Nevra is right! Maybe I should just move on!" I yelled as Leiftan slowly stood up.

I had to hurt something, something had to feel my pain as I grabbed a rock from nearby and threw it at my stupid statue that was behind the tree. I bent down and grabbed another rock but felt Leiftan's hand grab my wrist before I could throw it. Defeated, I dropped the rock and I fell to the ground.

"Why do you care about me? I pushed you away..." I said, through more tears.

"I have never stopped caring about you, Genevieve. I hate to see you hurt...I don't think he threw your love of him away," Leiftan replied as he crouched down next to me.

I ended up in his arms again as I cried. He continued to console me until I finally gathered my wits. 

"Thank you, Leiftan, for always being there for me," I said as I stood up.

His smile didn't carry onto his eyes, as it had been lately as I knew he was hurting too, in his own ways.

"I will always be there for you, but what I said earlier still holds as I need to distance myself, but I couldn't stay away in your time of need," he replied.

I gave him a hug as if it was our last and watched him walk away out of my life, again.


	2. A Quest for my Unrest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genevieve tries to pick things up where she left off before the sacrifice. This leads her to believe there is one thing she needs to do and she will need the Guard's help.

As I walked back to HQ, my stomach was in knots but I knew I needed to fill it with something, so I headed to the Dining Hall. Karuto was whistling rather loudly in the kitchen as I approached.

"Genevieve! Oi, you're looking rather puffy. Here, I've read about the anti-bloating properties of this Earth queenoah grain and I made a hearty bowl of it," Karuto replied and handed me a bowl filled with quinoa and vegetables.

"Oh quinoa! This is very healthy! Thank you, Karuto," I said and headed to a table far from others. I was in no mood to entertain any inquiries about my "bloated" state.

My mind was in turmoil as I ate the delicious, hearty bowl. I have one person I dearly loved as a friend who tells me to just forget about Ezarel as if he never existed so deeply in my life. I have another who never told me to forget but that he didn't think Ezarel forgot or dropped our love together. This place always has a way of sufficating while still being a warm blanket to me. This back and forth in my head is taking me to the same answer.

I stood up quickly, cleaned up my mess at the table, and walked out of the Dining Hall with purpose.

As I approached the Conference Room, I filled with sudden doubt. I knocked on the door and waited until Feng Zifu answered the door.

"We are just finishing up a meeting, did you need to speak to Huang Hua?" he asked.

"Yes, if I may," I replied.

"I'll come to you when she is available. Just wait here," he replied and headed inside.

I stood outside the hallway and waited as my stomach turned around in circles. Minutes later, several members of the Light Guard left, including Nevra. He quickly turned away as he noticed my presence.

"I will find what I am looking for...with or without you," I whispered so that no one else would hear.

Nevra stopped walking and mentioned how he "forgot something in the Conference Room."

He waited nearby as Feng Zifu came out to say that I could come in.

"I'm with her," Nevra said to Feng Zifu's questioning gaze.

Nevra followed me inside and I stood at the conference table as Huang Hua stood up to greet me.

"Huang Hua, I wish to go on a personal mission that will also benefit our current situation," I declared with confidence.

Huang Hua looked at me and then at Nevra before turning her focus back to me.

"You're not ready or trained enough to go out on your own," she said, without hearing what I wanted to do.

"I know I'm not but I think my past can determine how far I have come in my growth here in Eldarya. Plus, I said this would also benefit us in discovering why there is such a human presence here now and what happened to the Island of Memoria," I explained.

"And how will you not let your personal feelings interfere with what is really important here and that is the current imbalance of our world?" she asked, point blank.

I stared at her serious eyes before Nevra interupted from behind me.

"They will interfere, as will mine, but this will only drive us further to help us fix all of this," Nevra said.

I turned to look at him in disbelief. An hour ago, he was telling me just to move on, forget Ezarel. Now he wants to help me find him? Nevra didn't look at me as he continued explaining to Huang Hua with his intentions.

"There is a reason for all of this imbalance and the only way to find out why is by venturing outside of these walls. Finding our allies and those who experienced our previous struggles can only help us. Ezarel can help us succeed," Nevra finished.

I looked back to Huang Hua, who was deep in thought as she looked out the window.

"And do you think I'm willing to let my right-hand man leave for months on end?" she asked.

"Yes, because you know this will only get worse. I cannot do much by staying here," he replied.

I felt like I was pushed out of this conversation that was originally mine. I couldn't help but speak up.

"Leiftan will be with us as well," I declared, regardless of what Nevra thought about it.

"Which is perfect since he doesn't wish to be here anyway," Nevra chidded.

"You'll need an Alchemist. That will be my responsibilty to find," Huang Hua said.

"So, you're letting us do this?" I asked with excitement riding throughout my voice.

"Yes, but I am going to demand that your personal search for Ezarel be pushed to the very back of the mission," she explained.

I nodded as I clasped my hands together in victory. I bowed and left the Conference Room with a much lighter heart. Nevra followed behind me and grabbed my arm as I walked away.

"Genevieve, I'm sorry for those awful words I said. I took my anger out on you and I shouldn't have," he said.

His voice, his eyes, everything pointed to sincerity and I respected that.

I hugged him tightly without saying anything and felt his shoulders relax as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I have to go convince Leiftan to go with us. I'm assuming you don't wish to be apart of that," I said as we released our embrace.

"You know me so well. My mouth won't behave and I don't want to ruin your chances," he replied with a sly grin.

"I've noticed. Thank you, Nevra. I owe you so much," I said.

"You owe me nothing. Just continue to be a great friend," he said and walked away.

I headed to the bedrooms and knocked on Leiftan's door. He opened the door slowly.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" I asked.

"Genevieve..." he started.

"Just for a minute, please. I know of your wishes but I need your help," I replied.

Leiftan hesitated before opening the door fully to let me inside. His room was made over like mine was and it was full of life.

He motioned for me to sit on a velvet chair as he sat on the edge of his bed. I started fidgeting but focused as I started to talk.

"Huang Hua agreed to let me go on a mission outside of HQ to find answers to our current situation and..." I started but stopped.

"And?" Leiftan asked.

"And to find him," I replied.

Leiftan looked into my eyes as I continued, hoping with every word that I wasn't pushing him away from helping me.

"Nevra is joining me and as well as an Alchemist of Huang Hua's choosing, but I want you to go with me. I always feel stronger when you're by my side," I said.

Leiftan looked down at his feet.

"I told you that I shouldn't be around you," Leiftan said.

"I know but you bring out my Aengelic abilities. We could work together to help in your redemption," I explained.

"There is no redemption for someone for me," Leiftan said.

"That's bullshit and you know it," I snapped.

Leiftan sighed.

"Please. This journey will be long and I want my friends by my side," I pleaded.

\-------------------------------------------------

Mathieu walked through HQ with his usual confidence, ready to tell his followers his new heroic story of the day. 

"Mathieu, meet us in the Alchemy lab," Huang Hua said as she approached.

Mathieu groaned as this probably had something to do about alchemy and the guard he never wanted to be apart of.

He stepped inside the lab, which was in full use at the moment by his least favorite, Huang Chu.

"I've gathered my Alchemists here to go over a specific, but very important mission that will require one of you to accompany with. It will bring you far away from home for a long period of time and will bring much risk," Huang Hua explained.

The group looked around at each other and many of their eyes lit up at such an adventure.

"Who will be apart of this mission?" Mathieu asked.

"So far, Nevra, Leiftan, and Genevieve. They'll need an Alchemist during their travels," she replied.

Mathieu tisked rather loudly. "I guess that means I'm not being considered," he replied, knowing his skills were definitely lacking.

"Actually, you were the one I was thinking of," she announced.

Everyone started to have their own protests but Huang Hua lifted her hand in the air to silence them.

"Huang Chu, I can't have my right-hand man and my Absynthe Leader out on mission as well. Mathieu will help provide a level of protection as well," Huang Hua explained.

Mathieu was about to protest himself but he suddenly saw this as an opportunity to get closer to Genevieve and get to know her much better. He nodded his head in agreement.

"She's right, as always. I'll do the best I can," he announced, placing a hand on his heart as the others rolled their eyes.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

"When do we leave, Miss Genevieve?" Leiftan asked as I walked to the door.

"Tomorrow morning," I answered.

"Ok, I'll be there," he said.

I kissed him on the cheek before leaving as a way of saying thanks. I went to my room to pack up enough supplies for at least a month, knowing we could gather more at neighboring villages and use their facilities, if needed. I went to the Dining Hall for my dinner and was so anxious that I could hardly eat, but I knew I needed my energy.

My dreams after falling asleep that night were only that of Ezarel. I pictured myself as Buttercup in The Princess Bride, one of my favorite movies from Earth. Ezarel was my Farm Boy, loving me from afar but giving me subtle hints of his desire for me. But then, just as in The Princess Bride, he is sent away from me, never to be heard from again. I woke up in a sweat as the morning light hit my windows and I was afraid of what this journey would bring us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the sweet Kudos! I wanted to post this early to help get this story rolling! :-D


	3. Only Fools Rush In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genevieve begins to experience the dynamics of the small team helping her to find Ezarel and what is happening in Eldarya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sending love and best wishes during this busy holiday time of the year! I took a couple weeks off from writing when my brain was uninspired. It's like a switch goes off in my head. It's slowly turning back on, so thanks for bearing with me! Please enjoy and thanks for the love!

As the four of us set out on the outside past the main gate, I started to think about the many outcomes of this journey. 

I had to be careful not to mention Ezarel's name around Mathieu, as he was not aware of the other reason why we were on this adventure. Nevra and Leiftan knew as well, so we had to be careful with our words and by focusing on the main part of the mission, it helped to keep us from talking about it.

Night fell as we approached a nearby small village. Nevra recognized it from the map Huang Hua gave us for our mission.

"Huang Hua noted possible alliances and those we should actively avoid...this one is a good one," he declared as we approached the main road into the village.

"I'll talk to the village leader, Nevra. You can talk to the innkeeper," Leiftan ordered.

"Old habits, die hard. I'm the one here who is in charge," Nevra snapped back.

Knowing where this was going to go, I stepped in between Nevra and Leiftan.

"We're not doing this again...let's work this out together without getting upset, please," I said.

Nevra sighed and Leiftan looked away.

"Nevra, what would you like us to do?" Leiftan said, with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

I glared at Nevra, who looked at me but didn't rub it in.

"I'll talk to the leader and Leiftan can get us whatever rooms are available. Mathieu, stay with Genevieve and see if you two can get any information on the human appearances or any information on Memoria's disappearance," Nevra commanded.

I was in awe of his new-to-me leadership. He was a leader of the Shadow Guard from before, yes, but seeing him as the part of the Light Guard was impressive. As Leiftan and Nevra separated without looking at each other again, Mathieu approached me with his usual swagger.

"So, who should we talk to first?" he asked me.

I looked around to get my bearings on how this village operated and didn't want to go too far as we had traveled on foot all day. I was exhausted but knew there was still work to be done.

"Someone who talks to a lot of people...the local bartender," I replied.

Mathieu looked at me with a curious, but impressed eye raised. He motioned his hand forward and said "ladies, first." I walked past with my head a little higher but refused to let Mathieu say any more than that.

The little pub was quaint, and smelled of local alcohols and smoke. A portly gentleman was standing behind the counter...just the man I was looking for. His wolfish ears reminded me of Chrome, so I was pretty sure of what kind of guy I would be questioning.

"Well, I'll be damned! We have a famous person in our bar!" exclaimed the bartender when we walked in.

I looked around me and it wasn't until Mathieu nudged me on the arm that I realized he was talking about me.

"The hero Aengel! You and the daemon saved Eldarya," he announced.

The few people in the bar stopped everything they were doing, whether it was talking or playing Eldaryan card games and stared at us.

"My friend, who helped me, was an Aengel too...anyway, I was looking to ask you a few questions, if I may?" I said.

The bartender motioned for Mathieu and I to join him at the bar. We sat down at the stools and he poured us an Eldaryan beer on the house...or at least I believed it was on the house because Mathieu took out his money purse and the bartender waved his hand as if to say "no."

"Thank you...I'm Genevieve, and this is my friend, Mathieu. We wanted to ask you if you knew anything about the recent appearances of humans from Earth," I said.

I felt Mathieu's eyes watching me as I questioned the man, but I kept focused on my goal.

"My name is Ganders. There have been rumblings here and there about where they came from and how. It was thought that these humans came little by little but really I think they came at once, as if a spell brought them or something," Ganders explained.

"Hmmm, interesting. Would you happen to be familiar with the Island of Memoria?" I asked.

Ganders started stroking his greyish brown beard while he took a second to think.

"I mean, I've heard about it being the home of the long, lost Dragons," he replied.

My heart beat with a sad beat this time as emotions flooded my mind. I started thinking about Valkyon and his fate. I heard Mathieu clear his throat rather loudly and when I still didn't respond, he spoke up.

"What she is implying is if you had heard from anyone regarding it's disappearance?" he asked Ganders.

Ganders stopped looking at me confused and focused his attention on Mathieu.

"It's funny you should mention that because there was a lady in here a few weeks ago that was talking to her friend about a missing island and her friend laughed at her thinking she was just kidding. Other than that, no sorry, I haven't heard anything else about it," Ganders replied.

I brought my focus back to the present and noticed Mathieu was chugging down his beer. I did the same and stood up when he did.

"Well, thank you so much, Ganders, for your information and good ale," Mathieu announced.

"The pleasure is all ours, especially to have met you, Genevieve. You saved us all," Ganders said, a little louder.

Sure enough, the people in the bar, stopped what they were doing again and started clapping as Mathieu and I started to leave the bar.

Embarassed, I walked out of there faster than a blink of an eye and my cheeks started to flush and not just because of the alcohol.

"Man, I thought my fan base was huge!" Mathieu exclaimed as we headed towards the Inn.

"Please don't. This is all too much," I replied.

"Too much? Nah, you can never have too much praise for what you and Leiftan did," Mathieu.

"Look I don't want to talk about it anymore, ok?" I exclaimed.

Mathieu held his hands out in the air as if he was surrendering and did as he was told, for now. He and I approached the Inn and saw Leiftan waiting outside.

"Mathieu, you can go ahead inside. I need to speak to Genevieve alone," Leiftan said.

Mathieu didn't argue, he just nodded his head and went inside the Inn.

Leiftan took a deep breath.

"Genevieve, so there is a slight situation with the room arrangement here," he started.

"Okay..." I said and waited for the rest.

"There are only two rooms available left in the Inn. They've been booked mostly solid for months since they have a flower festival that is coming up in a few days. Both rooms only have one large bed," he explained.

"And?" I said, knowing where this may be going.

"And so Nevra and Mathieu will be staying in one room and if you're okay with it, you and I will stay in the other," Leiftan said, nervously.

"It's okay, Leiftan. I know you rooming with Nevra right now would be a disaster, so it makes perfect sense. I'm fine if you are fine with it," I declared.

Leiftan did something I hadn't seen in a long time. He smiled and that carried to his eyes.

"Good. I put your backpack up in our room and if you ever need the room to yourself, just tell me and I will leave," he said, with kindness.

"I'll be fine. Why don't we all meet in our room and go over what Mathieu and I found out," I said.

Leiftan agreed and we went upstairs in the Inn. Our room was small but there was room for a dresser with a mirror, a couple of sitting chairs, and the king sized bed. Once Nevra and Mathieu came from their room down the hall, we started talking about the bartender's information.

"They're saying that a spell might have done this? Interesting..." Nevra said as he sat back in one of the chairs. 

Mathieu was kind enough to bring back some hearty sandwiches from the local eatery next to the Inn, so we ate those while we talked.

"But any news about Memoria is scarce. We may need to keep going and possibly be closer maybe before we hear anything about that," Leiftan said after finishing a bite.

"Mathieu, I forgot to ask the Innkeeper about checkout time, would you mind going down there and asking him when that is?" Nevra asked.

Like a good guard member, he did what he was commanded to do, even though Nevra wasn't in charge of his guard. As he closed the room door, Nevra turned his focus to me.

"Genevieve, I asked the Innkeeper if he had seen or spoken to anyone that matched Ezarel's description in the past seven years and while he laughed at me, he did let me look at his Inn's reservation book. It didn't take much to convince him, as he recognized my type right away," Nevra said, with a wink added in.

My heart felt like it stopped beating as I was waiting for Nevra to continue.

"He, Mary-Anne, and Twylda stayed here seven years ago. Three rooms, to be exact. I know that won't tell us where he is now, but at least we're on the right track," he replied.

I nodded and smiled as Mathieu came back into the room.

"Check out is at 10am," Mathieu said as he sat back down.

"Good, we'll be out of there long before then," Leiftan said.

As it was getting late and since we would be getting up early tomorrow, Nevra and Mathieu said their good nights and went back to their room.

Since I wanted to freshen up before going to bed, I politely excused myself and brought my bathroom supplies and night gown to the shared bathroom. Luckily, it was empty and I was able to get changed for the evening. As, I stepped out of the bathroom, however, Mathieu was heading towards it.

"Oh, sorry Genevieve. Wow, you look nice," he said as our eyes met.

"Thanks," I said quickly and scurried down to our room, closing the door quickly behind me.

Leiftan was startled as he was finishing getting dressed for sleeping in just a shirt and long sleeping pants.

"Are you ok, Genevieve?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine. I just ran into Mathieu out there," I replied.

I didn't want to talk any more about it and Leiftan's smile told me that there was more to this but he was going to drop it.

"Are you sure you'll be okay with this tonight? I can sleep on the floor if you'd be more comfortable," he said as he sat down on the farthest side of the bed.

"Nonsense. We're friends and we're adults," I replied and got in on the closest side, sitting up and pulling the sheets up to my waist.

Leiftan chuckled as he appeared to agree and got in bed as well next to me.

I couldn't help but start laughing too. Leiftan looked at me, confused.

"What's so funny," he asked.

"Your laugh makes me laugh. I haven't done that in a long time," I replied and started laughing again.

That caused Leiftan to start laughing again.

"It does feel good, doesn't it?" He asked between laughs.

Once we found ourselves calming down finally, I looked over at Leiftan, who started to look at me.

"See, this is why you shouldn't stay away from me. You may think it's a bad thing, but it really isn't," I said. "We can really help each other heal and continue to grow. You deserve that, Leiftan," I said.

Leiftan smiled before I reached out for his hand.

"I guess I don't have a choice now, do I? Seeing as we'll probably have to room with each other on this whole mission since Nevra is getting on my damn nerves," he replied.

"He's just stubborn. You both are," I replied.

"As are you, Miss Genevieve," he said.

I pretended to be offended before deciding to lay down in bed and turn to my side to face him.

"Ok fine, we're all stubborn. But I mean it about us working together to heal," I said as I watched Leiftan lay down and face me as well.

"We'll take it one day at a time," he replied.

I nodded and said good night and in turn, he did the same. I had a similar dream of being in The Princess Bride tonight, except Ezarel was the six-fingered man and I was Inigo Montoya and we were dueling towards the end of the movie for him having killed my father, "prepare to die."


	4. Is it Time for S'Mores?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camp, albeit very small camp, is established as they continue their search and Genevieve learns more about those helping her in their quest.

I woke up with a start as the light flowed through the single window in the room. Leiftan wasn't in the room and I could only assume he was getting ready in the shared bathroom. Not knowing when he would be back, I scrambled quickly to get dressed for the day. Thank goodness, I finished a few seconds after he walked into the room.

"Genevieve, good morning. Nevra and Mathieu are waiting downstairs for us. I wanted to make sure you got enough rest as you were pretty restless last night in your sleep," he said.

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry, did I keep you up?" I asked, very embarassed.

"No, not at all. I don't sleep very well or much myself these days. You were not a bother, I just worry about you," he replied.

I smiled and grabbed my backpack that I had just finished packing up.

We found Nevra and Mathieu outside with biscuits in their hands. They hand one to Leiftan and I and they wait a couple of minutes for us to scarf them down before heading off again on foot.

"So stupid question, why are we doing this on foot? There are plenty of land animals and companions that could take us there," Mathieu asked as we started on the path again.

"It's too much responsibility and cost. Plus, we can sneak into places better if we don't have to worry about hiding creatures," Leiftan replied.

"Yeah, he is particularily good at sneaking into places," Nevra sarcastically replied.

"Nevra!" I said loudly.

"What? Just stating facts. He knew all of the great hiding places, especially at HQ," Nevra said.

I looked over at Leiftan, who was working really hard at ignoring Nevra, but I knew it wasn't fair of Nevra to keep provoking him like he was doing.

Mathieu looked very confused at all of this as if he knows he was missing the inside joke. 

I just shook my head and tried to change the subject.

"Mathieu, my favorite course in high school back on Earth was English, what was yours?" I asked.

"Gym. It was the only one that I was remotely interested in and the only one I could get an "A" in," he replied.

"Gym?" Nevra asked.

"Yeah, it's a class where you had to exercise and play different sports with your classmates," I replied.

"You had to learn how to play sports and exercise?" Nevra asked.

"Not to learn, just to do. You know, to stay active or whatever," Mathieu answered.

Leiftan and Nevra looked at each in confusion but at least they are doing something together than isn't tearing each other to pieces.

"Your Earth stuff is odd," Leiftan said.

"No less odd than using magic for everything. We've created things like movies and television with technology and science. I'm surprised you haven't figured that out yet," Mathieu explained.

"We haven't exactly had time to, nor does that matter when you're simply trying to exist in a world that can crumble apart much easier than yours can," Nevra replied.

The subject was pretty much dropped as we all stayed silent after that. We started travelling into much denser forest and people became far and few in between. Nevra announced according to his map that the nearest town was not an ally and that we would need to set up a temporary camp in the woods before it gets too dark.

We found a nice clearing by some trees, which would shelter us from any rain if it were to fall. I unrolled the small blanket that was in my bag and wondered if it would be enough to keep me warm throughout the night. 

"Genevieve, you would be proud of me. I remember your trick of having to start a fire with just a couple of sticks and have been able to start a few fires that way," Nevra announced as he and Mathieu gathered fire wood and set it at the center of our small camp.

"Nevra, that's awesome!" I complimented as he started doing my trick of rubbing two sticks together. 

Sure enough, a couple of minutes later, the fire was well under way and Leiftan took out a cooking pot and started throwing in things that he had packed in one of the bags.

"Ah, Sugary Beet Stew...just like Mother used to make," Nevra said as he smelled the pot.

Mathieu and I looked at each other as we recognized the familiar statement that we would also say on Earth...except for the dish. It also made me laugh a little inside knowing the thing that really appetites Nevra. I started to think about how I've had to help him in the past and if I would have to do it again. 

Leiftan finished cooking and poured some stew into the bowls we brought with us and spoons.

We all enjoyed the filling but sweet beets and whatever else was in this interesting dish.

"Leiftan, I didn't know you could cook. It's very good," I said.

"I don't. I only know these basic dishes. Just enough to get by," Leiftan replied.

"Well, you had us fooled," Mathieu said and smiled as he finished his bowl.

I looked over at Leiftan, who's cheeks were slightly blushed. Did me giving him a complement make him blush? It immediately reminded me of old times.

"Genevieve...yoo hoo...Earth to Genevieve?" Mathieu said and waved his hands in front of my face.

"What? I'm sorry, my mind was elsewhere," I replied.

"I was just asking if you know of any camping songs," Mathieu asked.

"Not really, my family and I never went camping. My mom was too prissy for sleeping outside without a roof over her head," I replied.

"Man, if your mom could see you now then," Mathieu joked.

I immediately broke down and excused myself as I didn't want anyone to see me crying so easily.

I heard Mathieu say "what did I say?" as I walked off into the woods to calm down.

I found a decent log and sat down on it. I knew it wasn't his fault. He didn't know and he wasn't trying to hurt me on purpose but it still hurt.

A minute later, I hear someone approaching me.

Mathieu sat down next to me as I quickly wiped my eyes.

"Genevieve. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about what I joked about earlier. I didn't know about your family's memory being erased. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to bring you to tears," he said with an honest heart.

I looked over at him and saw his sincerity in his eyes and caring smile.

"You didn't know. I just took it hard, that's all," I replied.

"It's okay to do that. You've put on a brave face this entire time since you're 'back from the dead,' Mathieu said with air quotes at the end. "I never had much going for me on Earth, so I can't imagine what it's like to be erased from it when you had some much there for you."

"I know it's very personal, but why do you have so very little on Earth?" I asked.

"You don't wanna hear all of it. Typical orphan story, much tragedy, much pain," he said as he mimiced a popular meme from Earth.

I laughed which made him smile.

"I'm a very good listener. I'll tell you something you may have not read in the history books about my heroic sacrifice," I offered.

His eyes lit up and I heard him take a large breath.

"Ok, so from what I was told at the foster home was that my Dad was in the Navy and mom worked at a bar. So as you can guess, I was an "oops," he explained.

I looked over at him with care but he was carefree about it and even laughed.

"Don't give me that look! I stuck to myself, went to school and stayed in the foster system until I could finally break out of there, legally," he said.

"What did you do after that?" I asked.

"I did what any unmotivated guy like me would do...I got a low paying job as a meter reader for an electrical company and that's when I ended up here after I found an unusual ring of mushrooms on one of my routes," he finished.

I knew that feeling all too well. One minute you're just going about your day and the next minute you're in Eldarya without a clue on how to fit in.

"You've done very well to adjust to all of this," I complimented.

"Thanks. It was nothing. I found purpose here and friends who care," he replied.

"You mean your fan club," I joked.

Mathieu laughed which made me laugh in return.

"See? I've made you laugh. I still got it," he remarked.

I rolled my eyes as he motioned that he was just teasing.

"Let's go back and see if those two grumps have killed each other yet," he said as he stood up and held his hand out to me.

I grabbed his hand and he helped me get up. This was the first time I really looked at his eyes which were a really nice brown. His eyes lingered a little longer towards mine before I turned towards the path back towards the camp.

"Hey Genevieve," he said as I felt his hand grab my wrist. 

I turned around and he looked concerned.

"What was the unknown fact that you were going to tell me about your sacrifice?" he asked.

"Ah, you have a great memory. I tested into the Obsidian Guard when I first got to Eldarya. At first I thought how wrong that was because I wasn't strong, I wasn't brave...I didn't feel like I fit in at all. But as I continued my new life here in Eldarya, I realized how wrong I was. I proved to everyone, including myself, that I am brave, and I am strong. I know Absynthe Guard isn't what you wanted, Mathieu, but maybe there is something there that even you haven't discovered about yourself yet," I explained.

Mathieu smiled before replying, "well, we'll see about that, won't we..." before starting to walk back towards the camp.

When we got back, I was relieved to see Nevra and Leiftan sitting in their own respective sleeping areas. Nevra was looking over the travel map and Leiftan was writing in a journal. I sat down next to Leiftan, trying not to peek over at what he was writing.

"I see those eyes trying desperately hard not to look," Leiftan replied.

I feigned a fake look of shock as he turned his journal towards me.

"It's a record of our travels for Huang Hua. She asked for us to keep a detailed report," he explained.

Fear set in thinking about what happened earlier. Leiftan must have sensed this.

"Don't worry, I'm not putting in stuff like that. Just travel logs and interactions with locals," he replied.

"Thanks," I said, feeling relieved.

"It's late. We have yet another full day before reaching the North West coast of Apaorost which will allow us to dig in a little deeper about Memoria," Nevra announced to us.

I left Leiftan's side and went to my little plot of forest bed. It wasn't comfortable and it wasn't very warm. Knowing the others were in the same predicament...I didn't say anything.

As the quiet settled around us, only the crackling fire's sound danced around in my ears, the night's chill surrounded my body. I couldn't help but shiver slightly as I pulled the blanket up to my face to try and keep warm.

Knowing I needed rest and feeling very exhausted, I closed my eyes and I tensed up when I felt someone lay right next to me. I knew I was safe, so I didn't fight whoever was there and because of their warmth, I found myself falling into a deep sleep.

"Thank you, Leiftan,' I mumbled out before falling asleep right away.


	5. I'll Not Have What He's Having

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a member on the team that is showing fatigue and needs to eat...uh, feed. Genevieve knows she can help the only way she knows how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Almost New Year...can we actually get a happy year this time? I'll even accept an average year this time and not complain.
> 
> This chapter is short. I'll just admit it. The next ones after this will be longer, I promise!

The sun peered through the tall trees like focused rays of light and when I turned my face towards the sky, one of them shined right in my eyes, practically blinding me. I looked the other way towards Leiftan and my eyes popped open when I saw who was there.

Mathieu's eyes fluttered open as I shrieked a little as I moved back slightly.

"Whoa, whoa...it's ok..." he said as I used my blanket as almost a shield and held it in front of me.

"Sorry, I didn't know it was you..." I explained.

"Ok lovebirds, it's time to pack up and get going," Nevra said as he was packing up his camp bed.

I shot Nevra one of the dirtiest looks I could muster as Mathieu stood up and walked over to his bed to pack up. Nevra ignored me as he finished packing. I caught Leiftan looking over but I couldn't tell what his expression was. I quickly packed up and joined the others after they dismantled the remains of our campsite.

No one said a word for a good couple of hours until we reached an ally village to stop at for breakfast and a nice shower.

Nevra's eyes looked hallowed out as we approached the Inn and I stopped him a good distance away from Leiftan and Mathieu.

"Nevra, wait.." I said, tugging on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Genevieve," Nevra said, as if having read my mind.

"No you're not and you know it. You need to feed, Nevra. I'm not stupid," I said.

"I can't always ask that of you. I know how it affects you," he replied.

"And I don't have anyone to answer to now, except me. You're my friend, Nevra, and I would do anything for you and you know that," I said as I held out my hands and reached for his, making sure to turn my wrists out as I held his hands.

Nevra sighed and looked towards Leiftan and Mathieu, who were waiting by the Inn, impatiently.

"Go ahead, Genevieve and I are going to interrogate the locals. Eat without us," he ordered.

Mathieu didn't seem fazed but Leiftan nodded his head in disapproval. I hated knowing how he felt, but Nevra's life depends on this and I wanted to help him in any way that I could.

"Let's find a desolate spot," he said as we walked away from the village.

We found a wooden area with good coverage for us to hide in. Nevra and I sat down next to each other and he seemed hesitant.

"I know you'll be able to stop, Nevra. I'm not scared," I said as I held out my wrist.

"It's not that, Genevieve. I always felt this way knowing how intimate it is and how much Ezarel loved you. It made me feel as if I was cheating with you," he explained.

Just hearing his name crushed me, but I tried not to show it.

"Well, I never felt that way. I just wanted to help you, Nevra," I replied.

He grabbed my wrist and rubbed it tenderly.

"I know and that's why you're a special woman," he replied before pulling it up to his mouth.

I felt his teeth pierce my delicate skin and the pain entered my brain before being replaced with the intoxicating warmth that filled all of my senses. He kept his eyes focused on my wrist but a part of me wanted him to look at me while he was feeding. 

After what felt like almost a minute, Nevra was able to stop feeding and placed his fingertips on where the teeth had entered to help stop the bleeding. He held my wrist tenderly as he avoided my stare.

"Nevra," I said as I reached over with my other hand and lifted his chin up.

"It was fucking stupid of him to run away," he said, almost to himself.

"He had his reasons...I would have left too," I said.

"That's bullshit, Genevieve. Stop trying to believe that. He loved you more than anything..." he started.

"And that's why he left, Nevra...he lost me forever. He, like everyone else, knew I wasn't coming back. You know he would have stayed if he knew otherwise," I said.

"What about his friends? Not to discredit your love but there was more for him there besides that and he had no problem ditching it like an old rag," Nevra said.

I wasn't hurt by what he said. We're all angry for our own reasons and I can't be selfish to ignore that Ezarel also ran away from his best friend, who would die for him. Valkyon also died for his friends. 

"Listen, we'll find him and we'll give him a piece of our minds...but for now, we need to push that all aside. He did what he thought was right and he handled it the way he wanted to. We can't stop our lives around that because he decided to move on from it," I explained.

Nevra let go of my wrist after he noticed that the bleeding had stopped. I placed both of my hands on Nevra's face, caressing his cheeks with my thumbs.

"Please, Nevra..." I said, caringly.

"You're right. Thank you," he said as I released my hands.

"Now you're going to need to eat. Let's get back to the village," he said as he stood up.

We walked together back to the village and didn't find Mathieu or Leiftan around right away, which was desired.

Nevra sat at the local eaterie's table looking at the map again. I ate quietly, taking his cue of not wanting to talk. We had said all that was needed about that certain subject. 

Leiftan approached our table and placed a small satchel down on it.

"The local mayor wanted to give this to Genevieve once I said that you were with us," he announced. "I got one also."

I blushed as I was really just embarassed by all of this attention. He pushed the bag closer to me and I reluctantly opened it. Inside was an amulet and bottle of what appeared to be perfume. I pulled out the amulet, which sparkled a bright emerald green in the sun. It reminded me of the color of Ezarel's eyes.

"It's beautiful but I can't accept this," I said as I admired it.

Leiftan held up his amulet, which was also a bright green and matched his eyes.

"It's for protection and I tried to give mine back. The mayor said she would cut ties with HQ if we didn't accept them. The bottle in there is their town's specialty...Faerian Rose Water perfume," he explained.

"Better get used to it. Everyone is dying to meet you and do what they can to show their thanks," Nevra said as I put the amulet around my neck. 

Although I didn't feel anything, I did feel a type of comfort that the amulet was protecting me, somehow. I opened the cap of the perfume bottle and took a small whiff. It smelled like a soft rose garden that wasn't overpowering or that fake rose smell that I remembered on Earth. I decided to spritz a couple of sprays around my neck.

"Geez, were you looking to drown yourself in it?" Nevra exclaimed as he stood up quickly and backed away, waving his hand in front of his nose.

"Oh my goodness, Nevra, I forgot about your heightened sense of smell, I'm so sorry!" I replied as I watched him start to cough.

Leiftan started to laugh and held his hand over his stomach as he bent forward, laughing even harder. It was great to see that the strained relationship is lifting little by little. I tried not to laugh but couldn't help myself after watching Nevra's theatrics.

"I'm going to find Mathieu. It's time to get back on our journey," Nevra announced and puffed quickly away.

I looked at Leiftan, who was still laughing hard and I couldn't help but laugh even more. Nevra came back after a couple of minutes, with Mathieu in tow.

"Let's go," Nevra ordered and we followed behind him. Leiftan and I kept exchanging smiling glances at each other as we continued walking.


	6. You're a Wizard, Harry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain discovery leads to more clues regarding the appearance of the humans in Eldarya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the love! We're all just sitting by waiting for Episode 3 of A New Era and I find the small teasers keep driving the point the the fourth LI is...I'm not going to say it as I am still holding on to hope that it's someone else. They have a chance to finally listen to their readers...so we'll see but I'm not holding my breath. lol

Our next destination was the Port of Apaorost. From what Nevra and Leiftan knew, the port travelled past the Island of Memoria from the west coast, whereas we could take a boat from our beach back at HQ and head north. We could have done that to begin with but I had a feeling that Nevra and Lefitan knew Ezarel would not have travelled by sea with Mary-Anne and Twylda. They would have gone on foot to be safer. I wanted to ask them this, but I couldn't with Mathieu around. We were gathering information by talking to the villages along the way, which is helping us figure out what we could.

"We'll see if we can gain access to a ship and travel out there. Even though it is completely gone, there may be still clues that can help us try to locate it or at least know what caused it to disappear," Leiftan said as we walked.

"That should be no problem. You and Genevieve showing up makes people practically give you two anything you want," Mathieu joked.

I shot Mathieu a look but he looked away before he could notice. 

Hours seemed like minutes and before we knew it, Apaorost was in our sights. It was a much bigger town than the villages we were bumping into along the way. As we stepped into the bustling town, a store front with beautiful outfits caught my eye. I ran ahead of the guys to take a closer look.

"Ah, milady has found the boutique," Mathieu said in a royal voice from behind.

"Go ahead, make fun but it has been a long time since I have been able to even look at a store," I replied.

Nevra looked around the square and noticed that the Inn was nearby.

"Step inside, take your time. We'll just be over at the Inn," Nevra announced.

I looked over in surprise.

"Really?" I asked.

"Really," he replied, with a warm smile.

I hugged him as a thank you and took off running inside the store, almost knocking into someone who was on their way out of it.

This was my first time in an actual Eldaryan store and not just a market. There were two floors of merchandise, clothing, shoes...this would make the Purrekos jealous! I know Nevra said to take my time, but there was a part of me that still didn't want me to take too long.

"Hello, Miss...may I help you find anything?" said a salesperson nearby.

"Oh, no thank you. I've never been here before...your shop is very beautiful!" I gushed as I was going through the wooden racks of dresses.

"Wait a minute...do I know you?" the salesperson asked.

'Here we go...' I thought to myself. 'Not this again...'

"Nevermind. I'm sorry, I thought you were my cousin's girlfriend. My apologies. Anyway, be sure to check out the upstairs. We feature items from the humans that have arrived here lately," the salesperson explained.

"I'm sorry, you said the humans that have arrived here lately?" I asked.

The salesperson nodded their head. "Yes, a few months ago after the Island of Memoria disappeared, a bunch of humans had basically appeared in and around here. They left a bunch of their Earth stuff here, so we have decided to sell it to whoever is interested in some Earth artifacts."

Curiosity peaked at this moment as I suddenly became disinterested in the first floor's merchandise and headed straight upstairs.

Sure enough, the upstairs had tables set up with very recognizable things from Earth. I walked up to the closest table to get a better look.

I picked up a Harry Potter book. The name "Benjamin" was written in young looking handwriting on the inside cover. A dish towel with Snoopy on it was next to it, along with a dish scrubber. I looked at the table in the back and it had the bigger items on it...a large pair of bush trimmers, a red gas can, and a watering can.

All of these items seemed to be as if these people were holding them at the time of their arrival here...as if in the blink of an eye and all at once. It sent shivers down my spine. I took out my money bag and bought the Harry Potter book as I figured I could read it again when I get back to HQ someday...or maybe find this Benjamin and give it back to him. I walked quickly down the stairs to pay for the book because I couldn't wait to get back to the guys to tell them what I found out.

"Thank you! Sorry for mistaking you earlier. I could have sworn you looked very familiar," the salesperson said as I checked out.

"Don't mention it. I get that a lot," I said, joking mostly on inside.

I ran through the square and to the Inn. Sure enough, the guys were in the pub that was inside, sitting at a round table.

"You guys...I've got a scoop!" I shouted in the near-empty pub.

The three I travelled with looked at me quizzically. The bartender looked unperturbed as if this was a daily occurance.

I put the Harry Potter book down in the middle of the table.

"Now what is that?" I asked, as I sat down in the one empty chair at the table.

"A book?" Leiftan said, still confused as the others.

"Yes, obviously...but what about it?" I asked with a grin on my face.

"That's Harry Potter!" Mathieu exclaimed.

Nevra and Leiftan looked at Mathieu as if he had an arm coming out of his head.

"Harry Potter! You know...the boy who learned that he was actually a wizard?! The 'boy who lived?' Mathieu explained.

The Eldaryans looked at each other and then looked to me as if to save them from all of this nonsense.

"It's a very popular book from Earth. That store I was at, the salesperson told me about their second floor, which was filled with artifacts from Earth. That book was there, along with a bunch of other stuff...stuff that could be easily carried. The salesperson explained that a bunch of humans were here about a few months ago right around the time when Memoria disappeared and they left all of this stuff behind," I explained.

Leiftan picked up the book and started reading a few pages while I could tell that Nevra was deep in thought.

"This is popular on Earth?!" Leiftan asked as he kept reading.

"Yes, we didn't have magic on Earth, so that's fantasy for us. Kids and adults loves these books," I answered.

"Books? They made more than one?" Leiftan replied while still reading through the pages.

I ignored his comment as I looked over at Nevra, who looked like he was on to something.

"I think what the bartender suggested back in that village is holding more weight to it. The disappearance of Memoria, the arrival of more humans around the same time...the fact that there are a bunch of artifacts left here...this must have been the quick work of a powerful spell," Nevra explained outloud.

Leiftan looked at Nevra and shook his head in agreement.

"But who could or would do such a spell and for what purpose?" Mathieu asked.

"That's our next goal," Nevra said.

"But first, food. I'm starving!" Mathieu declared and stood up to head over to the bartender to see what food to order.

While we waited, I noticed Leiftan was still reading the Harry Potter book.

"You're a fast reader," I complimented.

His eyes appeared over the book and he looked at me. I could tell he was smiling from the creases near his eyes.

"I may have discredited this book before reading more of it," Leiftan admitted.

"There is a saying back on Earth...don't judge a book by it's cover," I replied.

"I might have to use that from now on," he said and continued reading.

"While you were shopping, I was able to secure a boat for us for tomorrow," Nevra said.

"That's perfect, thank you," I replied.

Mathieu came back to the table with a tray of drinks and four bowls of stew...almost spilling it when he tried to set it down.

"At least I know I should never be a waiter," he joked as we all flinched thinking everything was going to tip over.

"The bartender suggested this special drink since I told him we were sailing tomorrow. It's suppose to help you with sea sickness," he replied as he handed a drink to everyone.

I took a whiff of it after he handed a glass of it to me and I cringed. It didn't smell the greatest but I didn't want to be rude, so I took a sip. Surprisingly, it's smell was very deceiving! It tasted a lot like orange juice.

The stew was also delicious. We gave our compliments to the bartender after we finished our meal. 

"Here," Nevra said as he handed me a key. "We all get our own rooms this time. It's their slow season right now, so they were very happy to book four separate rooms for us."

I took the key and followed the guys up to the rooms. Luckily, they were all right in a row, with mine between Mathieu's and Nevra's at the end of the hall by the shared bathrooms. We all were very tired, so we all said our good nights and went into our respective rooms. Before I went in, I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around to see Leiftan standing behind me with the book in his hands.

"Oh I've read it many times...you can keep it tonight to read, if you want," I said as he started to hand it over to me.

"It's yours. I'll finish it some other time. Thank you for your great information so far on this journey. You've helped us tremendously," Leiftan complimented.

"Thanks, but it is just luck. If I hadn't gone into that shop, we would have probably found it out later on, I suppose," I replied.

"Luck or not, you're still valuable to us on this mission," Leiftan replied.

I couldn't help but blush as I took the book out of his hands and watched him bow a little before heading back to his room. I stepped inside my room, closed the door, and leaned back against the door. It was the first time, in a long time, that I had felt so much appreciation. I've had to fight to be accepted here and it finally feels like I've earned everyone's respect.

I changed into my nightgown and snuggled into bed with the Harry Potter book. I noticed that Leiftan folded the corner of a page about halfway through the book. I am really impressed by his reading skills. I started reading it myself until I drifted off into sleep.

A dream entered my mind like any other night. I was walking through a thick forest, similar to ones we have travelled through. There is someone standing off in the distance but I can't make it out who it is. I yell "hello" over to the stranger, looking to get their attention. I continue walking closer but I still do not know who it is.

"Hello?" I ask again.

As I got closer, I noticed this person was wearing a long, black cloak with a hood over their head with their back to me. It felt very ominous and dark. I stopped going forward as I started to question whether or not I should be talking to this person.

"You will regret what you find," said the stranger.

"What?" I asked.

"You will regret what you find," the stranger repeated.

The stranger pulled off his hood and long, blue hair flowed out of it...

My eyes snapped open and I found myself in a complete sweat in the Inn's bed.

I looked around, making sure it was still just me in the room. I got out of bed and found myself incredibly thirsty, so I grabbed a drinking glass that was on the night stand and went to the shared bathroom to pour some water from the sink into my glass. 

As I walked back to my room, Leiftan's room door opened. He walked out to see me standing there with a glass of water as he had an empty glass in his hand.

"You too? We're in a port town and yet I feel incredibly dry," he said, kindly.

"Mine was from a bad dream," I replied.

"Need to talk about it?" he asked.

"It's nothing. I'm sure it's my overactive mind playing tricks on me," I replied.

I honestly would have talked to him about it, if it wasn't for the last thing I remember from it. That hair was very recognizable and it crushed my heart.

"If that changes, my room is open," he said and walked by.

I stepped into my room and closed my door. I looked down at my glass...the water inside was moving like a rough sea. I realized that my hand was shaking. 

I heard a light knock at my door and it opened slowly behind me. 

"I sense your inner turmoil. Please...come in my room and let's talk about it," Leiftan said as he appeared.

I could only nod my head slightly as I was shaking all over now. I carried my shaking glass of water with me as we walked into his room. He guided me over to his bed and I sat down, absentmindedly as if I was no longer in this world. I felt his hand rub against my back in a soothing way, but I couldn't react.

"That nightmare was an omen and I felt it the second you experienced it," Leiftan started but I couldn't react. "I couldn't see it, but it felt dark."

I pushed myself to focus in on Leiftan's words. Finally, I was able to speak.

"It was Ezarel. He was telling me that I will regret what I find," I said.

I felt Leiftan's hand stop rubbing my back for a second and then start again. I thought his tone would change, but he stayed calming and warming.

"This won't stop our journey, but we must prepare ourselves to whatever reality we may come across. It may not be of our liking," he replied.

"So you think this holds some merit? That it can be true?" I asked, shivering but not from being cold.

"It felt too strong to be just a nightmare, considering I felt it's intentions as well," he replied.

My eyes filled with tears as my emotional wall crumbled. Leiftan put his arm around me and held me tight as I cried. The door opened and Nevra stepped in.

"I couldn't help but overhear..." was all he said.

I found myself, in the middle of a small breakdown, to start laughing a little bit. Nevra, at first, was cautious but now smiled as he walked towards us.

"I can't get away with anything around you, can I?" I said to him as he sat on the other side of me and put his arm around my waist.

"Nope, I'm like that really annoying sibling, much like my sister, who puts their nose in on everyone's business," Nevra joked.

It felt comforting to have my two closest friends by my side during my time of need. I know this was hard on them as well, especially Nevra, considering Ezarel was one of his closest friends. We were all walking blindly into this 'tunnel' and we're unsure of it's outcome...but more than likely, it may not be the outcome we were hoping for.

We sat there for a few minutes without a word being said. It was knowing that we were all in this together that gave me the strength to push forward.

"No matter what happens, we'll be there for each other," Leiftan said as I stood up. 

I looked over at Nevra, who looked over at Leiftan and then at me, and smiled. I knew those two were able to bury the hatchet and realize that friendship is the bond that makes us stronger. 

"We will," I said.

Nevra stood up as well and motioned for me to walk out of the room first.

"I'll walk you to your room," he joked.

That put a big smile on my face as we entered the hallway.

"Such a gentleman. I didn't know vampires could be so chivalrous," I joked back.

He opened my room door for me and waved his arm extra cheesy for me, signaling for me to enter.

"I've been around for a while. Let's just say it's worked better for me when it comes to women," he replied.

I rolled my eyes, but in a joking way, and wished him good night. I laid in my bed with a much better disposition and was able to fall asleep quickly and soundly. My dreams were lighter too.


	7. We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A "pirates life" for Genevieve and her crew as they take to the sea to find out more about the Island of Memoria's disappearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, I know it has been a while! I was having a little time to where my writing was pretty much non-existent and my stories were on pause in my head. As a writer, it's the worst feeling because you feel like it's gone for good. It eventually sparks up again but still. Thank you for reading.

I woke up with anxiousness, wondering what today's boat journey would find us. Would we find any answers? Anything that would lead us in the right direction about Memoria's disappearance?

I rushed to get dressed and met the guys downstairs in the restaurant to grab some breakfast.

"Whatever you do, don't have any eggs," Mathieu announced as we looked at the daily menu.

"And why's that?" I asked.

"It'll come back up when you get sea sickness," he replied.

"Mathieu, everything will come back up if you get sea sickness," Nevra said.

"Eggs do not settle in the stomach, trust me," Mathieu answered back.

"You sound like you've sailed a lot," I said.

"Yeah, the youth home we lived at was on a big lake. We'd go fishing almost every day in the summer," he replied.

I smiled at this little memory and it brought back images of the memories that I had back on Earth.

"Fine, no eggs," Leiftan stated as the waitress walked over to our table.

After we ordered, we went over several "what-if" scenarios if something happened while on the boat. It was fascinating listening to the current second-in-command and the former second-in-command work out different strategies. I was almost envious of their skill but realized how that wasn't my strength. In fact, I started to doubt myself. What would my strength even be? The ability to disappear for seven years and come back as if nothing had happened but in reality, everything changed?

I stood up and excused myself with the excuse that I had to use the restroom, as if nothing was wrong. I walked past the bathroom and outside into the city's square, hoping no one would notice that I left. I found a quiet bench by a shady tree with pink flowers and it reminded me of the Hundred Year Old Cherry Tree. I had my head in my hands as a shadow loomed up to me.

"I saw you leave, are you ok?" Mathieu asked.

I looked up, my eyes probably red from my struggles.

He sat down without a thought and placed his arm around me.

"I'm all ears, if you want to tell me," he said.

"It's nothing...I'm just doubting myself," I replied.

"That's not nothing. We all have those moments, myself included," he said.

"I find that hard to believe," I said.

His arms felt comforting around me, much like Ezarel's did. It was a comfort and a curse.

"Yes, the almighty Mathieu struggled with his confidence, especially when he first arrived in Eldarya. I was surrounded by people with talents and physical attributes that would even cause celebrities back on Earth jealous...have you seen Jamon's biceps? They would make The Rock piss his pants," Mathieu joked.

"I felt the same when I arrived...well, not about that but just if I had anything I could offer, a talent or skill. I'm pretty average," I answered.

"Average?" he said then gave a loud tisk. "Psh...you're the Aengelic Heroine. I think your actions have proven you are worthy here in Eldarya. You did something that most people could never fathom of doing and that is sacrificing yourself for the greater good. Didn't you watch Superman with Christopher Reeve? He gave up his powers to be with Lois Lane. This is pretty much the same situation," he explained.

I let out a laugh as he released his arm from me. He stood up and reached his hand out to me.

"Come here, I want to show you something," he said.

I took his hand and he led me a little bit outside of the city. We were surrounded by a beautiful meadow.

"See all of this? This is because of you. You giving us your heart and soul created all of this," he said as he picked a beautiful purple and blue flower and handed it to me.

"I guess I never thought of it that way," I said as I took the flower and smelled it. It smelled so beautiful and I couldn't help but smile.

"Never doubt yourself. You've done more for Eldarya than anyone ever could," he declared.

"Thank you, Mathieu. I feel much better," I said.

"Just doing what I can to help beautiful damsels in distress," he replied, with a sarcastic tone.

"For a second, you sounded just like...never mind," I said and shook it off.

"Come on, I'm sure the generals are waiting for us," Mathieu joked.

He held his hand out and I held it as we walked back to the city square. I released it as soon as we found where Leiftan and Nevra were waiting for us.

"We were about to conduct a search party," Nevra announced as we approached.

"I just needed some fresh air before our sea travels," I replied, knowing how stupid that sounded.

Leiftan's eyes shifted from me to Mathieu, then back to me. I didn't like what he was probably thinking.

"I was doubting myself, okay? Are you happy now?" I yelled at Leiftan.

His eyes went from suspecting to surprise. He stammered as he tried to reply to me.

"That's...not what...no, I'm not happy. I just worry about you, that's all," Leiftan replied.

"Okay, enough. Our boat is waiting for us," Nevra declared, his eyes in mid roll.

We walked in silence to the docks. I felt Leiftan glancing over at me here and there but I ignored it. 

The fresh sea air was filling my lungs as we headed over to our decent sized boat.

"As long as this isn't the Titanic, we should be fine," Mathieu joked.

I laughed as Leiftan and Nevra looked over at us in confusion.

"It's an Earth thing," I replied.

Leiftan extended my hand to me but I just stood there and looked away.

"Please Genevieve, let me help you onto the boat," he begged.

His eyes expressed regret and I accepted his non-verbal empathy and in some ways, an apology. I know his connection to me is probably as strong as it was the day we walked to our ending fate, if not stronger. I try to treat this delicately, especially since my heart belongs to another.

I stepped onto the boat, with Leiftan's help, and had a small flashback to when Lance kidnapped me and brought me to Memoria. I looked away for a brief moment to bring myself back to the present but I felt a hand at my chin.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay doing this?" Leiftan asked.

I nodded in agreement and gave him a warm smile.

"Ok, I can feel it. I know this is hard for you," he replied.

"I know," I replied and found a spot by the port side and found comfort in the wooden supported wall. I tempted placing my hand in the water for a brief moment, but then remembered what usually lurks in the water below, so I decided against that.

I watched the guys pull up the anchor and start to set the sails towards the East. I felt the boat move along with the water and it had a calming effect to me, to the point that my eyes became heavy.

What felt like only a second later, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Genevieve, we're getting close," Nevra said as he knelt besides me.

I looked out and sure enough, the sky was a violent mess around us. The air also was colder around us and I felt my body reactively shiver to it.

"According to the nautical map, it should be within our sights," Leiftan said as he appeared to be looking at it.

"This turbulant weather is troubling but very telling," Nevra said.

"It's definitely got the mark of a large spell," Leiftan declared.

Mathieu looked around and was staring at a certain spot in the sky.

"Mathieu, what do you see?" I asked.

"I don't know if my eyes are decieving me, but there past the clouds..." he said as he continued looking up in the sky.

I looked up and concentrated my stare as the boat rocked along with more rough waves. A few shadows zoomed through the clouds as if there was something or some creature flying around. 

"It can't be..." Nevra said at barely a whisper.

My heart lurched in my chest. But as quickly as we noticed the shadows, the faster they dissipated.

"Maybe our eyes saw what we wanted to see, but it was just an illusion," Leiftan explained.

He was always the first to rationalize the impossible...to give a reasonable and rational reason why. Miiko appreciated his intuition and I can see that now. Maybe he was right.

I lowered my head in disappointment. I would have loved to see him again. To tell Valkyon that we all miss him dearly.


End file.
